Sacrifice
by LunacyInArt
Summary: After almost six years, Junkrat once again bumps into Sombra, and the two must figure out just what their relationship is. It's not as easy as it sounds. T for violence and kissing. (Yes, violence. Apparently I can't have a romance without violence.)
1. Chapter 1

Roadie's motorbike speeds down the narrow street, swerving round cars and between lanes with a fervent mania. The wind rushes through my hair, making my eyes water. Invigorating. My metal arm is wrapped around his middle as I sit on the seat behind him, my other hand high in the air, feeling the air flow like water through my fingers.

" 'appy birthday, Roadie!" I screech, smiling so wide my face feels like it'll split in half. "Can't wait to show you yer present, mate. Think you're gonna love it."

Roadie of course says nothing, but I can tell he's happy from the way he almost hits a ute as he changes lanes. He's only reckless at the best of times, when my personality gets into his head. The driver lays on the horn as we ride past, and I flip him off, grinning.

I direct Roadie toward the outskirts of the city. I'm barely able to contain my excitement. I try standing up on the seat as he drives, but he reaches round and yanks me down by the arm.

"I like you," he says. "Don't kill yourself."

I stick out my tongue at him behind his back.

I tell him to park several streets off, just to be sure we'll still have the bike when we get back. Roadie locks it up and we set off down the road, him lumbering at a steady pace, me practically skipping ahead of him on my peg leg.

"So," I say, turning round and walking backwards, "y'know how you were mentioning you wanted some new gear?"

I can hear the grin in his voice. "You didn't."

"Not yet," I say. "See, this is more'n just a present. It's a heist. We're gonna blow up the biggest, toughest stash in town, and I'll give you first pick on everythin. How's that for a special birthday, eh?"

"You realize my birthday isn't for a month," he growls.

I shrug. "Whatever, mate. I had the idea and I couldn't just sit on it for another four weeks. So? You excited?"

He grunts, which is pretty much a cheer from him. I giggle and turn round again, loping ahead on my uneven legs. "You won't believe the kinds of stuff they've got in here," I say. "I been collecting rumours and this is bound to be a good haul. We might be able t'upgrade that scrap gun a yours. Hell, you'll be able to get a snipe if you want!" I scratch my head roughly, sending flakes of ash raining onto my shoulders. "It'll be a blast."

"You're nervous," he says softly.

I shrug. "It's yer special day, mate. Just hoping I don't mess it up."

Roadie chuckles and that in itself makes me feel a little better. "Mess it up and it'll be more fun for me," he says.

"Lovely," I say. "I'll be sure and try to screw things up for you then?" He snorts and I stifle a giggle. "Only joking, Hog. C'mon. Step it up."

The place doesn't look like much. Like a warehouse, with huge garage doorways and grafitti splattering the walls. Old crates and moldy boxes are stacked feet high around the building. I stop in front of it and Roadie halts beside me, taking it in.

"Beauty, ain't she?" I say. "I'll blow open the front and distract 'em, and you grab whatever you want."

He nods, and pulls his gun from its side holster.

And then a huge rumble shakes the ground beneath us, and before I know what's happening, Hog yanks me away and shoves me to the ground. Not a second too soon. The moment I hit the asphalt, the front of the building explodes.

I blink away smoke. Coughing, I push myself to my hands and knees, only to have Roadie grab my by the shoulder and hoist me to my feet. "Move," he growls, and I scramble up and make a bolt away from the building, glancing over my shoulder to keep make sure he's following.

"What the hell was that?" I ask, breathless as he catches up and we round the corner. "Cause that wasn't part of the present. You okay?"

But he don't have time to respond before we both spot the motorbike. I let out a shriek and rush forward. Roadie lumbers on after me, gun trained on the girl carrying a stack of weapons under one arm and fiddling with the lock on the bike with her other hand. She's splattered in dirt and blood, her purple dress ripped down one side, her nose destroyed and bleeding all over the expensive seat cushion.

"Oi! Mate! Whatcha think yer doing?" I demand, stalking up to her and ripping her hand off the bike. She startles, then hops away from us, clutching the weapons to her chest.

"Oh," she says, breathless. "Jamie. Long time no see. Help me with these guns, won't you?"

I gape at her. "Who're you, exactly?"

She glares at me in exasperation. "Look, do you want to be found in my company when Overwatch comes, or not?"

Roadie, with a sudden urgency, pushes past me and unlocks the bike, throwing himself into the seat. He pops out the little stash compartment from the side of the bike and gestures to it.

" _Gracias_ ," the girl says, and dumps her weapons in before swinging on behind Roadhog. Roadie beckons to me. I shut my mouth and get on behind the girl. Then he boots the kickstand and takes a sharp turn, heading back the way we came.

"Overwatch?" I ask, shouting over the roar of the engine. "What's Overwatch got to do with this?"

"That's their warehouse," she shouts back. "You didn't know that was their warehouse? What were you doing there?"

"Just gonna have some fun," I grumble.

She laughs and I can feel it vibrating through her back onto my chest. "Oh, of course! Why didn't I guess?"

"I still don't know who you are."

She snorts. "Don't remember me, _Nino_? I saved your life." She reaches over her shoulder without looking and pokes my nose. "Boop."

It all comes back in a rush. Hot damn, but she's grown up. "What're you doing _here?_ " I ask, dumbstruck.

"I could ask the same of you," Sombra says.

"Exploring," I say. "Stealin stuff."

"Well then, I'm exploring too," she says.

"You don't seem like the type to blow up Overwatch stash," I say.

"I didn't," she says. "They did, trying to kill me. I'm a high-value target. That's why I need you to drive faster, Mako," she adds, patting Hog on the arm.

I grind my teeth. "His name's Roadhog."

"What? Since when?"

"Since Mako died," Roadie says. "Security purposes."

"Maybe you outta shut up and let him drive," I suggest.

Sombra laughs at me, but says nothing more until we're several blocks down from the warehouse. "Turn here," she says, and Hog obeys, pulling a sharp left onto a narrow side street.

"Where you taking us?" I ask.

"Home base," Sombra says. "You two can stay with me if you want, at least for a few days."

Roadie grunts, which basically means the decision's up to me. I glare at the back of Sombra's head. "We'll see."

It's a little harder to feel the wind with Sombra sitting in front of me, blocking whatever gets past Hog. I try to enjoy the ride anyway, since this is one of the few times I get to be backseat while he drives. I try to tell myself that Sombra ain't so bad. Roadie seems to trust her, and that's a huge point in someone's favor as far as I'm concerned. And I'll get another day to do something special for Roadie. Hopefully. But damn it, this was supposed to be special.

She continues directing Roadhog through the streets into grimier and grimier alleys, till it looks almost like Junkertown. That makes me a little more at ease. All the clean roads and buildings make me feel a little sick. Nothing honest ever comes from a clean building, I can tell you that much.

When she tells us to stop the bike, I hop off almost before Roadie pulls to a halt, and grab a couple of guns out of the compartment.

"Careful with those!" Sombra says, jumping off and slapping my hand as I reach for another. "Leave that alone. Reaper will kill you if you drop any of these."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa." I take a step back, eyeing her sharply. "Reaper? Who's Reaper?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention?" she asks. "I'm working with Talon now. This haul is for them. I don't use shotguns or rifles."

"Talon?" Roadhog steps so close to her that he throws her into shadow. "We don't deal with Talon."

She smirks. "Well, you do now. Widow can see you from the cams. In fact, she's probably lining up a shot right now, in case you try anything violent. So I suggest you keep your head down and do as I say."

Sombra turns and struts away, arms full. Roadie and I exchange glances and I can tell he's worried. But we both agree, silent, that it's better to follow. For now.

"Hey! Reaps!" she shouts as she steps up to a molding wooden door. "Open up. I brought guests."


	2. Chapter 2

The inside of Talon's base looks totally different than the outside. Which is good, I s'pose, because if it looked the same on the outside it'd be ridiculously out of place. The main room is clean, the wood floor polished and shiny, a couple newish sofas along one wall, and a thick fur rug in the center. I goggle. Haven't seen something so tasteful since our last commission. Immediately I glance around, fingers twitching slightly as I plan potential exits. The door we came through is about the only option. There's another exit opposite me, but I spot a fingerprint scanner by the doorknob, and so I rule it out. I could always blow the roof off the place, but somehow I don't think that'll leave me on good terms with Ms. Boop.

The Boop herself drops her guns on the couch and punches the mic next to the fingerprint scanner. "Stop stalling and get over here," she says. "They won't hurt you." She winks over her shoulder at me. My hand twitches a little faster.

"I told you to do the job _quietly_ ," says a gravelly voice from over the mic.

"I tried," Sombra says with a giggle. "But Overwatch ruined that, so I had to adopt twins. Come up here and meet them."

The bloke on the other end makes a frustrated noise and the mic shuts off. Sombra turns around and puts her hands on her hips. "Put those guns down," she tells me - I'm the only one who hasn't. "Reaps is in a bad mood. He'll be looking for an excuse to hurt you."

I hurriedly set down the armful of weapons and then back up till my shoulders touch the wall, inches from my escape route.

"No need to be nervous, _Nino_ ," she says with a small smile. "I won't let them hurt you. They're a little rough round the edges, but they're really quite sweet once you get to know them."

Roadie snorts in derision. I can't keep from noticing he's far more at ease than I am, and that only makes me feel worse. I wrap my arms around my waist and tap the floor with my foot, eyes flicking round the room.

The door next to Sombra opens. Through it steps a man in a black coat and an evil-looking mask covering his face. Ah. Reaper. Makes sense, that name. After him comes a beautiful woman with pale purple skin and more cleavage than I've ever seen in my life. I swallow hard and try not to stare.

For a moment, the two strangers watch us and no one says a word. I can feel the purple woman's eyes on me but I don't look her way. Dangerous, ladies like her. Can't tell me feet from me hands when they're around.

Vixen is the first to open her mouth. "Who are these imbeciles?" she asks, silky-cold.

"Rat and Hog," Sombra says, grinning at me. "They helped me return the haul. You should thank them."

"How many times have I told you," Reaper says, "that deviating from the plan is a waste of my priceless time and effort?"

She shrugs. "I think they're cute." She addresses us. "Hog, Rat, this is Reaps and Widow." She glares at Reaper. "And they're usually more friendly. Reaps just has a PMS problem."

I hear Reaper make a choking sound under his mask and I twitch a smile.

"Nice t' meetcha," I say. "Quick question." I point a finger at Sombra. "Why you put up with this little bugga anyway?"

"Because it's easier than getting rid of me," Sombra says. "Now, Reaps, I want you to be honest. New recruits?"

"Absolutely not," he says.

"Oh, come on." I don't know Sombra well, but I can already tell when she's getting manipulative. "I really want to work with Rat. And I'm sure you'll get along with Hog. He's the kind of ruthless killer you've been after."

"Sombra, I said no."

"Fine." She strides toward us and grabs me by the arm. "Come on, Jamie. Let's look for some place where we're welcome."

Widow nudges Reaper with her elbow. Reaper growls, then says, "We can't let you leave."

"Tell you what." Sombra rounds on her heels and flashes an evil grin at her boss. "Let's make a deal. Hog and Rat get to stay with us for just a couple weeks, and I don't leave with all your secrets. Sound fair?"

"One false move," he says, his low voice sending chills up my spine, "and your brains are on the floor."

"Deal!" Sombra takes my hand and pulls me toward the locked door, beckoning for Roadie to follow. "Come. I show you where you sleep."

She leads us into a lift and down two floors before I'm able to form words.

"Reaper ain't exactly a bucket a tootsie rolls," I say.

"That's true," she says. "But like I told you, he can be a real sweetheart if you know what to say." The lift swishes open and she leads us into a dark corridor with a packed dirt floor and a row of wooden doors along the left side.

"Know what to say?" I snort. "Mate, you pretty much blackmailed him."

"Exactly," Sombra says. "He needs me. Which means I'm basically in charge of Talon now. If I was any less useful he'd have killed me." She pokes me on the nose again and I start, my face heating up. "Be useful, Jamie. It gets you places you wouldn't have believed possible."

"Hard to pay attention to you when you keep booping me," I say.

She stifles a giggle. "Sorry, _Nino._ I can't help it. Your nose is too cute."

Something heavy drops into my stomach and suddenly I want to heave - not out of disgust but out of pure terror. Roadie seems to notice, because he rests a hand on my shoulder, comforting.

Sombra opens the final door along the corridor and gestures inside. "There's only one free bed," she says. "Top bunk is mine and I'm not giving that up for Hog's weight in gold. One of you will have to sleep on the floor."

The room is cramped, and most of the space is occupied by a military-style bunk. Everything else is strewn with Sombra's clothes, shoes, and tangled with a web of cables. Sombra picks her way round the mess like she's memorized it, snatches a laptop off the bottom bunk, and carries it to the opposite side of the room, all the while kicking a path through the debris. "Well? Have a seat," she says, raising an eyebrow at us.

I lope over and sit down on the matress. Having a bed is worlds better than sleeping on rock, that much I know. But hell, it'll be nice to sleep somewhere comfortable again.

"I'll share with Roadie," I decide.

Sombra looks up sharply from her laptop. "Are you two--" she hesitates--"A couple?"

I can feel my face going red. "No," I say, "Not like that. I just meant - it just helps to--"

"He needs company," Roadie says. "PTSD."

"Ohhh." She cocks her head, watching me. "I'm sorry, Jamie."

"S'not your fault." I can't believe Roadie's telling her this stuff. It's supposed to be private. But I just sit and take it for now, because I don't want Sombra to hear my protests either.

She turns back to her laptop and types feverishly for a minute before shutting it with a snap. "You'd better get settled soon," she says. "Reaps shuts off the lights in here early. He thinks he's my dad."

It takes me a long moment to convince myself I'm safe enough to remove my peg leg. For what seems like forever I sit glued to the edge of the bed, my fingers drumming on the mattress. Roadie, already pulling off his shoes, glances at me.

"Ok?" he asks, so low I can barely hear.

I nod stiffly and force my fingers to be still for a moment.

"I got you," he says. He's said it before many times and by now I realize it means so much more than just the words. _You're safe. I'll protect you. She can't hurt you, not while I'm around_. _It's gonna be okay._

With a deep breath I unbuckle the strap for my peg and pull it off. I feel naked without it on now. It's practically a part of me. But with all the will I can muster, I set it down on the floor, and push it under the bunk.Then comes my metal arm. I've tried sleeping with it on, but having pieces of cold metal pinch your face while you're trying to sleep is inconvenient to say the least.

Then I crawl across the bed and wriggle under the covers, backed all the way against the wall. I only need a sliver of room anyway.

Sombra rushes in and out of the room several times during the next few minutes, at some point coming back in leggings and a tank, with her nose cleaned of blood and taped back up. I watch her curiously, trying not to stare too much. I don't know what'll happen if she finds out I'm gawking at her.

The lights shut off as she's out once again, and Roadie and I are thrown into blackness.

"You think this is a good idea, mate?" I whisper as he lays down, dragging the other side of the mattress down with him.

"Do we have a choice?"

"We could blow this place up," I suggest. "Get out and get as far away as we can."

"How?" he asks.

Good point. How are we supposed to get our hands on any explosives with that Reaper guy breathing down our necks?

I start thinking about ways to make a detonater and some mines from what I've seen around here. I'm so lost in thought that I dont even notice when I drift off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I wake up almost every half hour tonight. That's tons more than usual. A couple times I forget where I am, and try to climb out of the cot in pitch darkness before bumping into Roadie. He snorts in his sleep, but doesn't wake. That calms me down. Roadie's only a heavy sleeper when he's sure we're safe.

Early in the morning, before the lights come on, I start awake and sit bolt upright, breathing hard. Sweat trickles down my nose and drips from my hair into my eyes. Explosions sound from far off, muffled and regular. Ten miles, maybe less. I try to slide out of bed and accidentally jab Mako in the side with my stump. He reaches out and puts a hand on my chest, holding me back.

"Stop," I hiss. "Let me go. They're carpeting just a few miles off. We need to evacuate. Get your bike."

"Rat," he says, "You're with Talon now."

"Let me go, Mako!" I'm screaming now, struggling against him as he holds me back. "They're after us! Please - please, we can't take the Omnics ourselves. There's too many of them. Please, Mako." I'm shaking so hard I can barely sit up. Mako takes me by the arms and looks straight into my eyes.

"Jamie, listen to me." I can hear the explosions drawing closer and I'm sick to my stomach with fright. "You're okay. This is Sombra's room. We're underground. Youre safe."

Safe?

I shudder violently, and he steadies me with his hands, still looking me in the eyes. I don't remember Mako having a scar. What happened? Why didn't he tell me?

"Hey! You okay, Jamie?" says a voice I don't recognize. I look up and see a short girl standing by the bed, watching me. Something shifts in my head.

"Sombra?" I whisper.

"That's right," Mako says. "There are no bombs. You're safe."

I look at him and my eyes focus for the first time. The sounds of explosions start to fade and I realize what I thought was an air raid is just the blood pumping in my ears. I relax, slumping against the wall. I'm still shivering.

Roadie tells Sombra to go back to bed and she does, though she glances at me one more time, curious and a little worried. I try to ignore her and hug myself, trying to stop my teeth from chattering.

Roadie watches me, silent. I can tell his brain is crunching away steadily behind his eyes but I can't imagine what he's thinking. Finally I swallow the lump and my throat and mutter, "Sorry, mate."

"For what?"

I press my forehead to my knee so I don't have to look at him. "Nevermind."

"You don't have to apologize," he says. "You know that, Jamie."

I shrug, jaw clenched to keep my chin from trembling. Roadie sighs heavily and drops back down onto the mattress. "Just... take care of yourself."

I stare at him until his breathing slows, until he begins to snore like a huge car engine, loud and rumbling. Blinding lights flash before my eyes, and in the corner of the room I sometimes think I see a fire, red and flickering and sending tongues of black smoke curling round the room. Eventually I lie down and huddle close to Hog. I try to match my breathing with his. Slowly my heart calms, and slowly I feel my eyelids droop.

I wake up violently to a blaring alarm and an empty room. Mentally, I slap myself awake and fish my peg out from under the bed. My hands are shaking as I strap it on one-handed. As I'm pulling on my metal arm, the door slams open and I jump. Sombra strides over to me and plops down on the floor.

"Hey," she says.

"Where's Roadie?" I ask.

"Good morning to you too," she says, grinning. "Reaps is asking him some questions. They'll be done pretty soon."

"Can I come an' watch?" I ask, climbing to my feet and double-checking my peg.

"No, silly," she says. "He'll be fine. Come on. Let's go for a walk." She stands up and watches me, expectant.

"What exactly d'you mean by that?" I ask. "What's I getting into?"

"I just want to talk to you, _Nino_ ," Sombra says. "And what I want to say is better said without Widow listening in. No offense, Widow," she adds, glancing up at the ceiling.

"Whoa, wait. Hang on," I say, following her gaze to a small black dot in the roof tile. "You mean that creep's been listening in on us this whole time? That's messed up, mate. That's real messed up."

"I thought I told you," she says. "But you'll get used to it. Now come on. This neighborhood's delightfully revolting and I think you'll enjoy the sights." She walks out the door, beckoning me after her.

I follow because, well, what else am I supposed to do? If I just wait till Roadie gets back, I'm going to end up freaking out, wondering what Reaper is doing to him. Plus I'm still unsteady from last night. I need a distraction.

So I follow her back up the lift, out of the building and onto the street.

It's still a bit dark out. Cloudy, too. I can't see the sun but some greyish rays of light make it above the rooftops. Here the buildings throw the whole alley into shadow.

"How do I know Widow's not still listening in?" I ask, following Sombra down the street. "How do I know you're not bugged, or something?"

"You'll just have to take my word for it." I can hear the smile in her voice. "Wouldn't kill you to learn to trust me, Jamie."

"I can think of all sorts of ways that'd kill me."

She laughs, lighthearted and clear. Something jumps inside my chest. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she says. "But honestly, I'm looking out for you. I don't want to hurt you."

"Hog's the only one who doesn't want to hurt me," I say. "You his kid or somethin'?"

"No," she says, and goes oddly quiet. I step up my pace just slightly to walk side-by-side with her.

"You okay, mate?" I ask, trying to read her face. But she's put up a mask and I can't tell what she's thinking.

"Yeah," she says, and flicks me a smile. "I'm fine."

We walk in silence for a long moment. My mind spins in circles as I try to think of something to say, something to break the silence. But Sombra is the first to make a move. I jump slightly when she reaches out and takes my hand. Her fingers are cold on my skin.

"Oi, mate, what's this about exactly?" I ask, and I'm unable to hide how startled I am.

She shrugs, only squeezes my hand a little tighter.

Finally she says, in barely a whisper, "My parents died in the Omnic crisis." She sucks in a deep breath through her nose. "Just thought you should know."

"Ah." I'm not quite sure how to respond to this. Part of me, the paranoid part, is convinced she's just saying this to get me to open up. To manipulate me. And sure, she's one manipulative little tic. But an even stronger part of me wants more than anything to believe her.

"Mine too," I say.

She nods. "I thought as much."

"Hog is kinda my dad now I guess," I add. "Takes care of me. It's nice."

Sombra nods again. "It must be."

I squeeze her hand and a little smile inches across her face, breaking through the mask. That smile makes my heart race like a shot of adrenaline straight into my veins.

"When Talon took me in," she says, "I thought for a moment that they cared about me. As a person. Turns out they're just interested in my skills. But I'm over that now, I guess." She pulls her hand out of my grip and my heart sinks. "Plus, some of the things they have me do are actually really fun." Her pace speeds up so she walks in front of me. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"You gotta tell someone, mate," I say. "And it don't look like the company you keep is too keen on sharing their feelings."

"I'm not either," she says, a little sharply. "Not when I'm in my right mind."

I shrug. "Whatever you say, Sombra."

She starts when I say her name, but doesn't reply.

"So what didja want to talk about?" I ask, catching up with her again.

It takes her a long moment to answer. When she does, it's in a very level, controlled voice. "I wanted to know a little about you, Jamie. That's all."

"Guess I have to, now that you've spilled yer heart to me," I say.

She smirks. "That's the plan."

"Not much to say, really. Omnics killed my parents. Don't have a home, cept when Roadie finds some old place for us to hide in."

"You really rely on him, don't you?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say. "I s'pose."

"Has he ever tried to kill you?"

I blink in shock. "Kill me? Hell no."

"Are you sure?" Sombra eyes me with large brown eyes. "He hasn't ever considered it?"

"How should I know? Bet he thinks about loads of stuff he never says." The interrogation is making me uneasy now, and I want more than anything to disappear into a side street. The thought of Roadie still in Talon's base is the only thing that stops me.

"I don't mean to insult him, Jamie," she says. "I'm only trying to help. Sometimes your closest friends can be out to stab you in the back. I want you to be prepared if that happens."

"Mate, you're more paranoid than I am," I say, staring wide-eyed at her. "I've known him for almost seven years. If he wanted to kill me he'd have done it by now."

Sombra nods, almost feverishly. "Okay. Alright."

"You sure there's nothing wrong, kiddo?" I ask, taking her by the arm and stopping her in the middle of the street. She freezes, and watches me, eyes locked on my face.

"I don't know," she whispers. "I just - " The next words come out in a rush. "I just keep remembering you and your missing leg and arm and how you almost died. I don't want you to die, Jamie. I care about you."

I feel like someone's just kicked me in the nethers and stolen my wallet. At least, that's the best comparison I know. I stare at her, mouth hanging open, gripping her arm with numb fingers.

"I don't know you," I finally manage. "What you caring about me for?"

Sombra pulls her arm out of my grip and turns back the way we came. "Come on," she says, and everything about her is suddenly stiff. "Reaper should be done by now."


	4. Chapter 4

Sombra isn't mean to me over the next few days. Quite the opposite, in fact. She's nicer than I've ever seen her and it's scary. It's like she's trying to make up for something, or win my favor - I'm not sure which. I avoid her as much as possible but it's difficult when I'm sharing her room.

Roadie doesn't say anything about his meeting with Reaper. I ask, of course, but the first time he just shrugs and after that he ignores me. I want to tell him about my conversation with Sombra, but the fact that Talon listens in on everything we say is thoroughly unnerving.

There's nothing to do the first day besides sit around and rethink this morning's conversation. Sombra is out doing who knows what for her boss, so I get lots of time alone. Usually I think aloud to Roadie, so it's weird to keep everything to myself. I don't know how people do it.

Then again, this is something I'd rather even Hog didn't know. There aren't many things I keep from him, but this is private.

The more I relive that conversation, the more anxious I become. I don't know what she's planning for me but whatever it is, it can't be good. I think I must have insulted her when I said I don't know her. No idea why that'd be insulting, though. Just a fact.

I'm torn between irritation and... something else. Something that I'm not quite familiar with. Something that excites me and terrifies me at the same time. And I ain't keen on sharing that with Roadie, no matter how close we are. I wouldn't know how I'd explain it, besides.

Eventually I decide that two can play her game. When she gets back, I'll be extra nice to her, just to throw her off guard. And then I'll ask her what she's really up to.

But I don't get a chance to carry out my scheme. As soon as she walks into her room, where I'm sitting on the bed with my leg folded under me, she says, "Rat. Come. We've got a job to do."

"What job?" I ask, without getting up.

"Infiltration," she says, crossing over and sitting down beside me. "Think you'll enjoy it. I need you to distract some people while I find information." She leans closer, grinning up at me. "I checked with Reaps. He said you can blow things up."

"I'm listening," I say. As put off as I am with my whole situation, it'll be nice to blow off some steam.

"Great." She hops to her feet. "I'll tell you on the way."

She doesn't say anything more until we're tucked away in a small, inconspicuous vehicle and driving up the road toward the main street. I sit in the passenger's seat and she drives. She's not exactly a reckless driver, but she's not the most cautious either. Every sharp turn sends my heart racing.

"Your job isn't vital to the success of the mission," Sombra says, "but it is an important part. You'll create a disturbance while I sneak in and hack their security. Then I'll start extracting data. I need you to keep them occupied while that happens. And from what I've heard, making noise is your specialty."

"Sure," I say. "How long d'you think I'll have to keep that up?"

"If all goes well," she says, "probably less than half an hour. Think you can do it?"

"O'course." I glance sideways at her but once again, her expression's unreadable. "So, whatever happened to keeping Jamie safe at all costs?"

Her hands tighten on the wheel, her knuckles turning white. "I never said that."

"Yeah, you did."

"I said I don't want to see you die." She takes a right turn so hard I start to think she's trying to throw me outta the car. "I'm fine so long as I don't have to watch. And I have no problem sending you into danger."

"You'd rather put me in danger yourself than see anyone else hurt me?" I ask.

"Exactly. Problem?"

I shrug. "Don't got a problem. It's actually kinda sexy."

She snorts in derision, but her cheeks flush red. "Shut up."

"Bein' honest here, mate," I say. "You got a thing against honesty?"

"Yes," she says, "I do. Honesty gets you in trouble."

"Is that a threat?"

"Maybe it is," she says, glancing at me with an eyebrow raised. "And maybe you should shut your mouth."

A grin creeps across my face. "Make me."

Too quick for me to react, she takes one hand off the wheel and slaps it over my mouth. "There," she says. "Happy?" But she doesn't look angry with me; she's flushed red and smiling a goofy little smile.

And then she starts, and yanks her hand back so suddenly that we swerve between lanes for a moment. "Ew! Did you just _lick_ me? What is wrong with you?"

"Dunno, mate," I say. "Maybe don't get so hands-on next time?"

"If I wasn't driving," she says, "you'd be splattered all over that seat by now." But it's a little hard to take her seriously when she's grinning her head off.

Several minutes pass before either of us says a thing. Sombra is the first to break the silence. "Sexy, hm?" she asks softly.

 _Crap. Did I say that?_

"What do you think of me, Jamie?" she asks.

"How should I know?" I say, squirming a little in my seat. "Only known you a couple days."

"Well, _Nino,_ it's just hard for me to figure out whether you like me or hate me," she says.

"Would you believe me," I say, "if I told you I don't know either?"

"Not really," she says.

"Then there's no point me saying anything."

Silence again. Finally she says, "I've never met anyone like you."

"Not many people like me around," I say.

"No, I mean--" She hesitates, as if searching for words. "No one I couldn't immediately figure out. I always know what people think of me. Except you."

"S'cause I'm so good at hiding my feelings," I tell her.

"Well, no," she says. "Clearly you're not good at hiding your feelings. You just have so many it's hard to figure out which is the strongest."

"Oh." Never heard that opinion before. "Well, what d'you think is the strongest?"

She contemplates this for a moment. Then she pulls over to the side of the road and parks. She twists in her seat to look me in the face. "I think you're scared," she says.

Something plummets in my stomach. I open my mouth but it's gone dry.

"Yeah," she says, watching me closely, "definitely scared. Of me? Or something else?"

"Think it must be you, mate," I say, a little hoarsely. "Get this funny feeling in my gut every time y'look at me."

And suddenly she smiles, a smooth, evil smile. I get an overwhelming urge to touch her, but whether to push her away or pull her close, I'm not sure.

"I think we're going to have fun today," Sombra whispers. She kicks open the door and slips out. "Come on, honey. We've a bit of a walk."

 _Honey_. I'm in deep shit now. I bite my lip to keep from giggling at the sheer thrill of it.

I stick close to her as we walk, so close I almost trip over her a couple a times, though I don't really care. "So," I say, hands stuffed in my pockets, "who are we stealing from today?"

"Overwatch," she says. "Reaps wants to get them back for screwing up his plan. So he's going to give them another chance to snag my identity. Smart boy. If I did everything he said, we'd all be dead by now."

"Thought you had to be clever to make it nowadays," I say.

"Oh, and he is," she says. "Don't get me wrong. He's just not as clever as I am." She winks at me and I get that weird sick feeling in my gut again. "Ooh, can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"I've got my own agenda today," she says, leaning close as we walk. "I'll collect the bare minimum of info for Reaps, and then I'll grab some intel for my own personal collection."

"On what?" I ask.

"People," she says lazily. "Reaps is only interested in tech and blueprints. I want to know what's going on in these people's lives. If you can learn to threaten what they love, you gain a power over them like no other." She shakes her head. "I have no idea how Reaps hasn't figured this out yet."

A distinct unease creeps up into my throat. "And what power d'you have over me?" I ask.

"Mm." She smirks. "That's a secret."

"It's always secrets with you, inn' it?" I ask. "Secret this. Secret that. 'I tell you my secrets, but only the worthless ones.'"

"Exactly." Sombra takes my hand and rubs my palm with her thumb, thoughtful. "See, as long as you don't know what I found out about you, you'll have to stay." Abruptly she pulls her hand back and reaches into the pocket of her dress. "Here," she says, handing me a small earpiece. "You'll want this."

I stick it in my ear. She taps her own ear, and immediately the soft hush of static noise fills the left side of my head.

"Hey," she says. Her voice comes through the earpiece, crisp and clear.

"You make this?" I ask.

"Yup," she says.

"Scares me how smart you are," I tell her.

She shrugs. "It's not that hard. The hard part is keeping the line encoded. These two pieces are linked, and change frequencies every few seconds in synchronization so no one can listen in for more than a few words. I managed, though it took me a couple tries."

"Now you're just showing off."

"So what?" she asks. "If I'm showing off, don't you think that's a compliment? It means I want you to respect me."

"Or you want me to be scared silly," I say.

Sombra grins. "That too." And she puts out a hand to stop me in my tracks. "We're here."


	5. Chapter 5

"Doesn't look like anything to me," I say.

"Overwatch is good at this kind of stuff," Sombra says. "Most of the complex is underground. I've already collected a little intel on it. It should be fairly easy to crack. Give me a second."

She steps up to the manhole in the middle of the empty street and crouches down, running her nimble fingers round the edge of the cover. I can hear her nails grating along the metal. I walk up beside her and watch, arms folded.

"I can get it off if y'need help, mate," I say.

"Don't be stupid," she says, sounding amused. "There's some kind of alarm that triggers when it's opened. Got to disable that first."

"Won't they notice when it's disabled?"

"Aha!" Triumph spreading across her face, she fiddles with something on the edge of the cover. Then she flops down on her belly and begins typing in the air just above the center of the circle. Something shimmers in the air and I goggle, watching thin purple strands of _something_ flick from her fingertips and twist around an invisible object attatched to the cover. But before I can ask what's happening, Sombra pulls her hand back and hops to her feet. The purple strands continue to twist and flicker as she grabs the cover and heaves it onto the street.

I stare dumbly into the blackness beyond. "What did you do?"

"Hacked it," she says. "But it'll only take them a little while to figure out their security's down. Hurry up." She lowers herself into the manhole and climbs down until the darkness swallows her.

I follow after her, though it's a little difficult to navigate the rungs with a peg. A couple times I slip with a metallic clang that echoes wetly around me.

The stink quickly becomes overpowering. I've been so spoiled by clean cities, I almost gag in disgust at the foul taste that seeps into my mouth. The rungs under my fingers get slimier as I go down, making it harder to hold on. Everything around me is pitch black now, and I'm only a few feet down.

Soon I hear a thud and a splash, and moments later my foot is probing thin air for another step.

"Jump down," Sombra says, even her whisper echoing eerily for what seems like miles.

"Ever tried to jump with a peg?" But I hop down anyway. The moment my wooden leg hits the stone it slips on the slime and I stumble backward with a yelp. Sombra catches me around the waist and heaves me back to my feet with a grunt.

"Clumsy thing, aren't you?" she says with a smile in her voice.

Mentally, I dust myself off. "Sure, mock the cripple," I say. "Bet that makes you feel just peachy."

"How did you know?" I hear rustling beside me and it takes me a terrified moment to realize it's just Sombra. Then a scraping, and a little sphere of yellow light puffs up around us as she strikes a match.

As the stench hinted, we're smack in the middle of the biggest sewer I've ever laid eyes on. We're standing on a narrow, oily stone path that borders a steaming river of waste. I can't tell how deep it is - all I can see is the swirling rainbows of color rippling on the surface.

"Move quickly," Sombra says, heading off toward the flow of the river. "The patrol is probably heading our way." As we walk, she types in the air again and a map appears in front of her, keeping pace with us. Two red dots glide along one of the narrrow corridors. "Yup. Looks like they'll catch up with us in about... five minutes." She closes the map with a snap of her fingers, and looks at me, match still held in her right hand. "Leave these ones to me. I need it quiet for just a little longer."

She blows out the match and drops it, smoking, to the path. "Stay here," she whispers. "I'll be back for you." And she walks off, her footsteps echoing.

Soon I hear more sets of feet approaching fast, quiet but still louder than Sombra's. And then a woman's voice, with an accent I can't recognize.

"Who's there?"

Silence.

"Requesting backup. Patrol 12 detects intruders in the--" She chokes off, her voice drowning in the rush of the sewage. Then a _crack_ and I recognize the sound of a neck snapping. I force myself to remain still. It isn't Sombra. She's fine. She's okay. A scuffle, and then a second _snap_. And footsteps strolling back toward me. I stiffen, tense, ready to fight with all I have if need be.

Another match flickers to life, and Sombra grins at me out of the soupy blackness. "Hey," she says.

"We oughta hurry," I tell her.

"No need. Hacked their comms before they noticed me." She spins on her heels and continues on like nothing happened. "Come, _Nino._ I don't want to smell like sewage for the rest of my life."

"I'm starting to get used to it myself," I say.

She snickers. "Stop being funny. You'll botch the mission."

"Gotcha."

A few minutes later she stops me just before a side passage peels off from the main path. "Here," she says, handing me some matches, "keep going. I'll give you directions on when to set off the explosives. Be as loud and obnoxious as you can manage, alright? Just don't die." Sombra hesitates, then hops forward and pecks me on the cheek.

My world flips upside down.

I stare at her, heat rising to my face. She gives me a small smile and waves, wiggling her fingers at me before turning round and starting down the tunnel. Before I know what I'm doing I take her by the wrists and pull her back toward me. I feel her draw a sharp breath, feel her chest expand against mine as she stares up into my face, wide-eyed.

Neither of us moves for a long, long moment. My heart thumps in my throat, my breath coming short and fast. Somehow I find words.

"You don't die either, mate," I say. "Promise?"

She nods, and opens her mouth to say something - and that's when I kiss her.

The sewer smells absolutely foul but for a moment, that doesn't matter. For a moment, I smell only her sweet breath, I feel only her hands in mine and her lips parted at my mouth. A warm tingling creeps up from the small of my back, up to my neck and into my scalp. I slip my arms around her waist and pull her closer. For a moment, I forget everything that ever happened, all thoughts of the future. I float away.

And then the moment is over. With a jolt, she pulls out of my grip and backs away. I stumble back, trembling slightly. The expression on her face is unreadable, but it's clear she's not happy.

"I was trying to wish you good luck," she says. "I didn't want that." She swallows, and visibly composes herself. "We'd better hurry." And before I know it, she's out of sight.

It takes me a while to calm my racing heart. Apparently her too, because I can hear her breath over the earpiece, and it still comes ragged.

 _I didn't want that._

Well, that's fine. I just made a mistake, that's all. I won't do it again.

But it bothers me so much that after a few minutes I whisper over the line, "Sorry, mate."

"It's fine."

"Don't sound fine to me," I say.

"I said it's fine," she says, and there's a bite to her voice that I haven't heard before. Dammit. I've really screwed up this time.

"I didn't mean it like--" I begin, but she interrupts me.

"Just shut up and let me think, Jamie. Can you do that? Or should I cut the line?"

Oh.

Something inside me breaks. Something that I've been trying to rebuild ever since Mako left, years ago. I shut my mouth and stuff my hand in my pocket to keep it from twitching.

I walk for several minutes before she says anything. And when she does, it's in a cold, strictly-business type of voice, just like the Suits always use.

"There's a tunnel entrance a little way ahead of you," she says. "Just inside is a room full of sentries. I'll disable them and you make some noise."

"Roight." I reach the porthole and start pulling sticks of dynamite from my belt, fixing a couple around the door with lumps of gum. A thousand thoughts spin round my head and I have to bite my tongue to keep from saying something stupid.

"Ready?" she asks.

"Ready." I light the fuses with a match and lope back down the hallway. "Three - two -one--"

I throw myself to the ground and cover my ears just in time. A deafening explosion rocks the ground beneath me. Shrapnel rains on my head, stinging my skin and clanging against my metal arm. In a few moments all is silence again. I slowly clamber to my feet, spitting grime out of my mouth. Ah, I missed that sound. I turn round and survey the clean white room beyond.

First I notice the handful of bots lining the room, their guns down, their heads bowed as if in mourning. Hah. Serves em right. And then my eyes find the doorway opposite me, sliding open like an airlock to reveal a wider room beyond. Almost a hangar, with a small stealth plane just barely in sight.

But that's not what draws my attention.

Soldiers in black uniforms pour into the room from the open door, assault rifles raised and pointed straight into my face.

Aw, hell.


	6. Chapter 6

I've been in this situation before, and worse. But I've always had Roadie to help me. As I stare down a dozen fully trained guards it occurs to me that I don't know how to work on my own, or really with anyone besides the Hog. I fight down panic as I try to watch every gun at once, my eyes flicking back and forth across the room.

"Sombra," I say, "I think I'm gonna have to bail."

"Hang on," she says, voice clipped. "I'm working on it."

"Can't take em all out on my own," I say, fingers inching toward my second to last pack of dynamite. "I'm gonna run."

"Jamie, don't. I've got this," she says.

"Hands where I can see them, Junker," one of the guards barks.

I slowly raise my hands - and then, in a split-second, I snatch the dynamite from my belt, light the fuse, and toss it into the center of the room, hitting the floor just as machine gun fire pelts the sewer walls. I clap my hands over my ears and count.

 _One -_

Shouts, boots pounding the floor.

 _\- two -_

"Jamie?" Sombra's shouting in my ear, panicked. "Get out of--"

 _\- three._

I curl into a ball and the world explodes around me.

A familiar ringing swells in my head. I blink, squinting through smoke. And before I can even move, rough hands grab me by the arms and someone hoists me to my feet. He says something as he drags me off, but his voice is muffled and distant. Slowly I become aware of the people around me. I'm surrounded by half a dozen Overwatch trainees.

The man drops me to the ground and my elbow hits the floor, sending my whole arm numb and tingling. The man says something else, but I still can't hear him. And then he kicks me in the chest, just below my ribcage. I choke, and cough black blood onto the clean white floor. Gasping for breath, tears streaking down my face, I look up at my captor.

And his voice comes into focus.

"Come on, kid. Tell me now and I won't have to hurt you."

I struggle for breath but I can't get enough to fill my lungs. The guard gestures to his friends and I'm lifted to my feet again.

"Tell you--" I splutter. My mouth tastes like metal and gunpowder, and something hot and thick dribbles out of the corner of my mouth, slipping down my chin and dripping onto my chest. "Tell you what?"

"Who sent you?" the guard asks.

I look at him, uncomprehending, for a moment. Then I smile my biggest, toothiest smile.

"That's a secret."

I feel his fist hit my face almost before I see it. Blinding pain shoots up my skull. Something snaps and I realize, numb, that my nose is broken and sending blood cascading down my face.

" _Tell me,_ " the guard breathes in my ear.

I barely notice that the other guards are stripping me down, kicking away every weapon I have. One unstraps my metal arm, while the the other yanks off my peg. Their hands are the only thing holding me upright.

My captor regards me, then pulls out my earpiece and crushes it between his thumb and forefinger. That doesn't matter. I stopped hearing Sombra ages ago.

"Let me take a guess," he says softly. "The hacker. Why don't you tell us where she is now?"

I shake my head. He hits me again, with the other fist, and for a moment everything is blissful emptiness. Then reality snaps back. As does the pain.

"It will save all of us a lot of trouble," he says. "After all, we're already looking for her. It's only a matter of time."

"Bet you anything she's already dead," I mumble. "Little bugga."

The guard glares at me for a moment. Finally he says, "Take him to interrogation. And keep him alive. The commander will need to--"

A small figure in purple flickers into existence behind the guard and wraps an arm around his neck, bending him back toward her and pressing a gun to his temple.

"I'll give you till the count of three." Her eyes are dark and furious, her voice low. "If you don't want to know the color of your friend's brains, let the boy go."

They drop me to the floor. But instead of surrendering, they raise the assault rifles again.

A handful of shots. Silence. Then I count exactly four more, and bodies slump like ragdolls around me.

"Jamie, get up." Her hand slips under me and she pulls me into a sitting position, hugging me to her side to keep me upright. "There are more of them. Can you stand? Here. I'll help."

"My arm," I say thickly, trying to look over my shoulder as she helps me to my feet.

"We don't have time," she says. "I called Roadhog but he won't be here right away. We've got to get out of the sewers, alright? Lean on me. You'll be fine."

"I need my arm." I try to twist away from her but she holds me tighter, so tight my rib screams where the guard kicked me.

"Jamie, listen to me." She's almost in tears. And in the end, I suppose that's why I listen. "We can't go back for your arm. Please. Just walk. It's going to be okay."

And so we walk. Hobble, really. She takes me down a different way than we came, a twisting and winding path that makes my head spin. Think it'd spin anyway, though. She keeps checking her map, then flicking it away.

"We're almost there," she keeps saying. "Almost there."

"S'a lot of almost." I cough and blood splatters her face. I hear her barely stifle a sob. "Cute, how y'keep sayin that, Bee. Can I call you Bee? Like Sombra. Sombie. Bee."

"Shut up, you worthless piece of junk," she says. The blood on her face washes pink as tears trickle down her cheeks. "We're almost there. Just a few more steps."

Then I see sunlight, pouring from a hole in the ceiling of the tunnel. I want to make a joke, to tell her I'm seeing the light, I'm walking toward the light. But there's Roadie, reaching down into the tunnel with his big beefy arms. And she lifts me up to him. And suddenly I can't stay awake anymore. I drift away in the warmth and the light, and the pain washes away.


	7. Chapter 7

"You _destroyed_ our plan."

"Look at him, Gabriel! I couldn't just leave him! There were too many of them, more than we thought--"

"You know better than to call me that, Sombra. And yes. You should have left him."

"They were _torturing_ him!"

"I've watched countless people tortured to death. Not a single time have I compromised my identity and mission for their sakes." Reaper heaves a heavy, frustrated sigh. "Sombra, I think it's time for you to go."

My eyes snap open. I'm lying on the floor in Talon's base, on a small cot, wrapped up in a sheet. Sombra and Reaper are both standing over me and in the corner of the room I spot Roadhog, leaning against the wall but still very alert.

"Fine," Sombra says. "Fine. I'll go. I don't need you." She turns round but Reaper grabs her arm with a claw-like hand.

"Not with all our intel you won't," he growls. Widow steps up out of nowhere and places a small assassin's pistol at the base of Sombra's skull. Sombra goes quite still.

"The way I see it," Reaper says, "we have three choices. We could let you stay and risk our identities being exposed by association with you--" Widowmaker flicks off the safety-- "or we could let you run free with valuable information--" Widow cocks the gun-- "or, we could kill you." He steps closer, holding both Sombra's arms so tight I can see her skin going white around his fingers. "As head of this organization," he says, so quiet I can barely hear, "there is only one option that appeals to me."

"Oi. Oi mate." I force myself to sit up, though my body screams in protest. Sombra's eyes flick toward me and she mouths, "Jamie, don't." But I ignore her. She's saves my life twice now. I am not letting her die.

"Stay out of this, foolish boy," Widow says. "Or do you want to be killed along with your lover?"

"She ain't my lovah, you cow," I tell her in the most pleasant of voices. "Not yet, anyways. I was just wonderin if there ain't another option you're forgetting." I shoot a glance at Hog. "Like, say, I dunno... the three of us blowing this place sky-high and escaping, never to be seen again?" And I wait for Hog to bring out the big guns.

Reaper laughs. And Widow pulls the trigger.

It's almost funny, the way Sombra's body goes limp in Reaper's grasp. The way she crumples to her knees. The way her head lolls to the side and its weight pulls her down, her body slumping across my legs, the hot blood from her skull coloring the sheet a deep velvety red.

I stare into her eyes. Huge and brown. She doesn't blink. She could win a staring contest. Worldwide staring championship goes to... and the big winner is... Bee, with the big beautiful brown eyes. I reach out and poke her nose with a finger. "Boop," I say, and giggle because she ignores me. She doesn't even move.

I remember everything else in a kind of dream. More gunfire. I wrap the little beaut up in my arms and hold her tight, trying to keep her warm. All her warmth is coming out through the little hole in her neck and desperately, I try to hold it in, my palm pressed hard to the back of her head. I rock back and forth, holding her tight and pressing my lips to her forehead as it goes cold. I don't know why she's not talking to me. I think it must have something to do with the fact that I kissed her. But she said everything was fine.

Mako, the big git, tries to get me to leave her. I start crying, though there's really nothing to cry about. She's fine, I tell him. She's exhausted. We have to get her somewhere safe. And so I carry her, tiny little sweetheart with the warmth draining out of her, and I use Mako to prop me up as we go.

We don't walk far. Thank goodness. Bee is a little hard to carry with half an arm missing. Mako helps me set her down in the corner of an abandoned building, and I flop down on my belly next to her, gazing into her face with a dazed smile.

When Mako tells me the news I can barely breathe, I'm sobbing so hard. "She's fine!" I scream. "Don't you say things like that, you bastard! She's fine! She's not - she can't--" And then I look at her again. And just like Mum, her eyes are open, and they don't close.

I pull her close. There's no warmth left in her.

This time, I am old enough to know what death is. I am old enough to understand that I will never talk to her again. Or laugh with her, or kiss her. But right now, I don't think I understand any of that. I just lie down next to her and curl up, and cry myself to sleep in her arms.

She sacrificed everything for me. I don't understand it. I didn't ask for it. And so I hate her for it. Hate her and love her more than I've hated or loved before.

I wake up screaming again tonight. But this time when I open my eyes, the reality is worse than the dream. Roadie pulls me toward him and all I can think is, _Kill me. Please_ _. If you ever cared about me, kill me, before I kill myself._

I don't want to live through this kind of pain again.

Dawn comes slowly, laboriously. A pidgeon coos nearby, outside the building, and mist spills in through the broken window. Life goes on.

"We need to move," Roadie says. "They'll be after us."

I barely notice him. I'm still lying on the floor, staring at the mold on the ceiling. Gently, Roadie helps me to sit up, and offers me his flask.

"Drink," he says.

Slowly my eyes trace down to the flask in his hand. Then I find his face. His mask is off. He looks so tired today, and that's my fault.

Roadie sighs softly, then puts the flask to my lips and pours the water into my mouth. Most of it spills down my front with an icy-cold shock. That shock wakes me up just enough so I can take the flask in my own shaking hand and tip the rest down my throat.

"Good," he says. "Can you get up?"

I ignore him, and crawl on my knees over to Sombra's body. She's gone impossibly cold overnight. Her skin is icy to the touch. "We have to take her," I say, my voice raw.

"Jamie. Listen," he begins, but I shake my head violently.

"We can't leave her here," I say. "We have to bury her. At least let me bury her."

He hesitates, then finally nods.

As Hog gathers up our things and I'm hoisting Sombra onto my shoulders, something small clatters out of her pocket to the wood floor. I start when a holographic projection shoots up between me and Hog. The figure of a man revolves in 3D, and above him are the words,

 **Commander Jack Morrison**

[CLASSIFIED]

2015 - 2052 , 2052 - present

Location: Currently Unknown

Doctor's note: _The patient's posthumous operation went as planned. Better than expected, in fact. He seems his normal self again. I shall continue monitoring until further notice._

Dr. A. Ziegler, M.D.

I have to read over it several times before I can wrap my head around the meaning. But slowly, ever so slowly, it dawns on me. And then I smile, and snatch the hologram off the ground before readjusting Sombra on my shoulders.

"Oi, Hoggy," I say softly. "How'd you like to pay another visit to our dear Overwatch?"

 **THE END**


End file.
